THE 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
No. 121.) 
“NOVEMBER 1, 
1804,  [4, of Vou. 18. 
‘ 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
I REQUEST you to infert in your Jour- 
nal the following defeription of a new- 
ly difcovered ifland in the South Sea, which 
was feen by Capt. Sowle, in the Ameri- 
can fhip Palmyra, of Providence, Rhode 
Tiland,.on the roth of November, 18c2. 
As the weather was fine, that day at noon, 
he had an obfervation of the fun’s alti- 
tude, by which the latitude is acurately 
afcertained ; and as he took his depar- 
ture from Chriftmas Ifland, and hada gen- 
tle wetterly wind, it is fcarcely p-ilible 
there can be an error in the longitude, 
even of two or three miles. 
This ifland lies out of the track of 
moft navigators, who pa(fs either from 
America to Afia, or from Afia to Ameri- 
ca; and, till lately, Englifh whalers have 
been prohibited fifhing in that quarter, 
which accounts for its not having been 
feen before; it is, however, probable that 
there are feveral other iflands in the fame 
direction. Capt. Sowle thinks he pafled 
‘one the day before, as he faw many birds, 
and imagined he heard breakers, but the 
weather being very hazy he could not fee 
either rocks or land. Iam, Sir, 
Your’s, &c. 
WiuiLlLiaM Jacos, 
Canonbury-place, O@. 4. 
PALMYRA ISLAND 
is fituated in latitude 5° 49’ N. and in 
longitude 162° 23’ W. from London; it 
is about three Jeagues in extent; there are 
two lagoons on-it; in the weftermoit ef 
which is twenty fathom water, with a fine 
fandy bottom. It is very dangerous to 
approach the weftern part of the iflind on 
account of the coral rocks which are juft 
below the furface of the water, and extend 
to the diftance of three or four leagues 
from the fhore. 
The eaffern part terminates ina fieep 
reef of coral, over which the fea breaks 
with confiderable force. 
On the north-weft fide there-is good 
_ anchoring ground, about three quarters of 
a mile from the breakers, in eighteen fa- 
thom water on a coral bottom. 
There are no inhabitants on the ifland; 
nor was any frefh water found; but cocca 
MONTHLY Nac. No, 121, 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
eS 
> 
nuts, of very large fize, are in great abun- 
dance; and fifh of various kinds, and in 
large fhoals, furrounded the land. 
A great quantity of drift-wood lay on 
the beach, which enabled tnofe who land- 
ed to afcertain that the rife of the tide 
was about eighteen inches. 
— ene eee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
(ie your laft Magazine for October, page 
199, a paper is inferted by T. North- 
more ‘* Concerning a Difcovery of White- 
wafhing the Trunks of Fruit Trees.” 
This fuppofed difcovery was publifhed 
about three years ago by an American 
gentleman, of the name of Tench, in, I 
think, the Tranfactions of the Society of 
Arts, &c. as a common prattice in Ame- 
rica. As I was then attending his famt. 
ly, in the Crefcent, Minories, this recom- 
mendation more particularly engaged my 
attention, and induced me to adept the 
practice ; and I have found it uf&ful in 
cleaning and preferving the bark,of my 
fruit-trees, as well as increafing the pro- 
duct of fruit. I doubt, however, that it 
will Keep off the hares; on this eftct I 
cannot decide, as I have not had any ex- 
perience; but from the pains which writers 
on trees have taken to find out a compo- 
fition to anfwer this purpofe, I fhould 
imagine it would not prove adequate to 
the deicription. ae 
In the Tranfaétions of the Society for 
the Encouragement of Arts, the fir& paper 
in the eleventh volume, an. 1793, by 
William Patterfon, Efy. of Hotndee, is 
fpecifically on the fubje&t of preferving 
trees frcm hares, &c. and his words are, 
“Take any quantity of tar, and fix or 
feven times as much greafe, ftirring and 
mixing them well tozether; with this — 
compofition bruil the flems of young trees 
as high as hares, &c. can reach, and it 
will effectually prevent their being bark- 
Cone. Dy, Ge 
How far this compofition may injure 
the bark, or impede the growth of a tree, 
Tam not acquainted by experiment: but 
1 have tried the mediczted tar, recom- 
mended by Thomas Skip Dyot Bucknall, 
Efq. as an healing ap;lication to the 
Pp . wounds 
